Semenya McCord

Semenya McCord was born as Vicki Henderson in Monmouth, Illinois, on April 9, 1949, the daughter of Emetine and Ken Henderson. After graduating from Galesburg (Illinois) High School in 1967, she studied music education at Knox College, where she met her husband, Henry McCord. Semenya McCord was named Outstanding Jazz Vocalist at the Boston Music Awards in 1988, after which time she placed a greater emphasis on teaching. Her first solo album, "Good for Me!" was released in 1996. Returning home to Galesburg in 2003, McCord is now teaching jazz voice and related classes at both Carl Sandburg College and Knox College. She completed her Masters in Music, with a concentration in Jazz Studies, at Northern Illinois University in May 2006.